


Little Gifts

by lunaseemoony



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Blizzards & Snowstorms, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-08
Updated: 2015-12-08
Packaged: 2018-05-05 15:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5380385
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunaseemoony/pseuds/lunaseemoony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rose and the Doctor's plans for their first Christmas go pear shaped when a blizzard comes between them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> For [timepetalsprompts](http://timepetalsprompts.tumblr.com)' Ficlet Friday prompts, "first Christmas" and "separated by a blizzard."

“Rose! You almost home?”

He answered her call all too quickly. His voice was like the first sip of tea, warm and soothing on her ears; so much that she nearly tripped over her own words.

“Doctor, I’ve got some bad news,” Rose confessed on a sigh, eyes squeezed shut. She sunk her nails into the vinyl armrest on her seat.

“Can’t be any worse than what I’ve done to this poor bird. Still, not too burnt. Could be worse. Could be crispy.” This statement was punctuated by a pan clattering in the background.

The setting sun out the window teased Rose from behind its thick shield of clouds and snow. “We’re still in Brussels. Got stuck on the motorway and missed our flight back. The blizzard here’s gotten too dangerous to fly in. We thought we could beat the storm, but it came in quicker than we thought.”

“Oh.”

Rose turned around completely and rested her arms on the window sill. She pressed her forehead to the glass, letting it chill her skin. “Are you listening, Doctor? It’s pretty bad. Can’t even see the tarmac out there. We’re leaving as soon as we can. But they’re saying the storm won’t…” she released a trembling breath, “we won’t make it today.”

There was a pause, this time not for the clashing of pans or stifling of smoke alarms. She swallowed a pit in her gullet and sniffed. He spoke the midst of a croak. “That bad, hm?” He didn’t wait for her to answer, and quickly changed his tune. Rose could feel his bounce, the grin she’d always known was a bit forced but was still a comfort when they’d faced danger. “Just as well. Gives me a chance to bin this meal and make you a proper one! We can have a late breakfast! I can’t mess that up. I’ll make those waffles you like. With blueberries! Very American, don’t you think? Rose?”

Rose sat back down and tucked her legs in so she was curled into a ball on the seat. Of course, despite her best efforts to conceal it he’d detect something else was wrong. He still had bat-like hearing in this body, could probably hear her sniffling.

“Just this once, I wanted things to go according to plan. Just this once! It’s my own fault for counting on it.”

“Come on, Rose. That’s not us. Improvise! That’s you and me. New plans!”

She tucked her hair back and blubbered a giggle.

“Oh Rose.”

“We can only have one first Christmas!”

They’d had a rough start. The TARDIS fading away on Bad Wolf Bay wasn’t the start of their fairytale ending. If the past few years had taught Rose anything, it was that she’d have to go after it, if it even existed in the first place. This Doctor was a gift, and in their first few months together Rose hadn’t done anything to make him aware of it. They’d settled finally, but it wasn’t easy, not like Rose had thought it would be. So now after all they’d been through this year, the Doctor more than deserved one night with just a touch of magic. One night, a Christmas that was purely their own. That’s all she’d wanted. It would’ve been perfect. If everything went pear shaped the day after she wouldn’t have cared one lick.

“Are you warm?”

The airport felt that much colder and emptier when he said it. Mickey one seat over could’ve been a mile away. She wiped her face on her coat sleeve and nodded before bleating, “Yeah. Your gift was important though. Is. Is important. It had to be tonight, Doctor.”

“I’m not going anywhere. But I guess I should have picked up my game if it’s that important. Mine’s not… I’m proud of it but I wouldn’t say it’s important. I feel a bit daft now.”

She could hear him shutting the refrigerator door, putting food away. Rose swallowed hard, just imagining him working at that meal all day. He’d been planning their dinner for weeks, was going to wow her with his culinary skills, he’d said. It was part of his gift to her, just because she’d dared him to. He’d started cooking first thing in the morning so he’d have it all done by the time she got home. And it hadn’t gone to waste. They could reheat it of course. But it wouldn’t be the same, they both knew it. Hearing him chucking a pot into the sink tore at every last thread of calm she had left, and Rose hugged her arms tight across her chest. As well intentioned as he was, Mickey’s hand rubbing her shoulder set her off completely, opening the floodgates.

“I’ll make it up to you.”

It was finally silent on his end. “Don’t cry, Rose. Not when I can’t be there.” She pictured him wearing that goofy jumper he was so proud of, slumping into a dining table chair as he shoved his hand through his hair. Or maybe he’d lean up against the fridge, peering out at their kitschy Christmas tree. “Tell me about it then?”

Rose fished his gift out of her inner coat pocket and pleaded with her heart to slow down just thinking about it. “I’m holding it.” She tightened her fist around it and shook her head. “No, I can’t. It’s got to wait til I can see you.”

“Oh I know! That song you were singing in the shower the other day. Sing it to me?”

“What.”

She could _hear_ him grinning, that little cocky hum that always accompanied his cheesy smiles. “You said you’d make it up to me. There it is. I know you thought I couldn’t hear, but you sang it beautifully. Aww come on, I’ll sing it with you.”

She pursed her lips and sniffed, wiping her nose on her scarf. Good thing he couldn’t see how much of a mess she was anyway. “Mick and Jake are with me, Doctor. We’re in an airport.”

“They can sing backup!”

Rose sobbed a laugh, and turned her head to look at the boys. Jake was beaming while Mickey scratched his head. “You’re not serious.”

“Actually no. Don’t let them sing backup. Mickey’s horribly out of tune.”

He started singing before she could say anything. Rose pulled her legs in tighter and held her mobile closer to her ear. When she closed her eyes the Doctor’s voice blanketed her ears in a low, rumbling warmth. He’d meant to calm her down, she was certain of it, with his smooth as silk words coated in just a bit of silly. He’d meant to make her smile. But the closer he got to her favorite verse in the tune the damper her mobile and coat got. By the time he hit it a second time she was done for, but he pressed on. The drum line beat along in her chest, drumming harder and faster the nearer he got to the end. He couldn’t sing it alone. So although she was a blubbering mess, she quietly murmured along with him in chorus.

“ _Oh, I don't want a lot for Christmas_

_This is all I'm asking for_

_I just want to see my baby_

_Standing right outside my door_   
  


_Oh, I just want you for my own_

_More than you could ever know_

_Make my wish come true_

_Baby, all I want for Christmas is you_ _”_

Rose could finally breathe when they finished, gulping down a deep breath. She still clutched his gift tighter in her fist, but loosened her grip on it. Wouldn’t do to break the box before he even got a hold of it. She muttered his name a couple times, but he hushed her.

“As far as I’m concerned it’s not Christmas without you, Rose. It’ll start when you get here. I’ll wait for you.”

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

 

And he did. He was waiting in Heathrow (quite odd seeing more zeppelins landing than airplanes) 16 hours later. He waited for 12 of them, much longer than he would’ve needed to if he’d checked the flight information. But he wasn’t taking anything to chance. He camped outside her gate, thankful for others waiting for their loved ones. Not that he wasn’t accustomed to being the odd one out. It made the wait more tolerable. He’d considered staying on the line with Rose the entire time, except after the first hour she did grow tired of his nattering. Despite the company and her periodic texts each hour passed by slower than the last, until he was practically bouncing off the walls when her plane did land.

It was the day after Christmas, but the Doctor still proudly wore his dreadfully tacky jumper. He’d been waiting until she came home to put it on. The weather didn’t change those plans. It even completed his “tired relative” look quite nicely, if he did say so himself. All the product faded from his hair, leaving it a sort of flat mop. His trousers were wrinkled, and he was badly craving a decent cup of tea. But he didn’t _need_ anything but the sight of an equally weary Rose bursting out of the gate.

She barreled into him, shoving him into the pillar behind him as she dropped her bag and threw her arms around him. Her lips locked with his neck before he could breathe. She peppered kisses up his jaw and neck until her mouth finally crashed into his. He could almost feel her heart reaching out to his as he pressed his chest to hers and tugged her in by her hips. Three lonely nights faded with the whimper her kiss came with. She’d been gone longer, but this time was different. The last Christmas they’d spent on Earth he was a vastly different man. No Christmas following this one would ever be the same, but his face would. He’d always be there. Rose released his lip with a squeak and puffed a hot breath onto his cheek. Her glistening eyes darted over his face for a moment, taking him in. She grinned before pulling him back in. The Doctor combed his fingers through her hair and let her lead. She pushed him into the pillar further, teeth clashing with his. She’d missed him as much as he had, he thought as blood rushed to his face.

“Merry Christmas,” she giggled against his lips and nuzzled his nose.

“Merry Christmas,” he beamed.

“You’re a mess.”

He brushed back her hair and sighed. “You look beautiful.”

Rose moved her hands from his shoulders to shove into her pockets. “I can’t wait until we get home, Doctor. I’ve been going barmy waiting.”

“Here?” He hummed a cocky grin.

She meekly nodded and muttered, “Yeah.”

“If I’d known you wanted to I would’ve - ”

She fished a little box out of her pocket and knelt on one knee. The Doctor’s eyes bulged and he shook his head.

“You’re not.”

Rose lowered her head to release a breathy chuckle. Her hand was trembling like the last leaf on a tree before winter. She steeled her elbow on her thigh and finally nodded. “I am.”

“You don’t have to - ”

“I do. You offered me your life but we never talked about it, which I know isn’t fair, because I promised you forever.” She paused to suck in a deep breath. “And god, this was a _lot_ easier in my head. I just want to tell you that I want that. A life with you, everything it comes with. _Our_ life. Yeah? I’m just gonna say it. Doctor, will you marry me?”

Rose popped open the black velvet box to reveal a white gold ring with a band of sapphire in the middle. A heartbeat would have to feel like an eternity for his love. He wanted nothing more than to relieve her, to hold her trembling hands. Forever. The word broadened his grin. He’d just tasted its sweetness on her lips, felt it pulsing in her quivering hand. He could see it sparkling in her eyes like a fresh blanket of snow in the morning. He wanted nothing more than to wrap himself up in the feeling. And there she was, presenting it to him in a ring. He’d had the answer long before she ever asked.

“Rose Tyler, I’d _love_ to.”

They both fumbled with the ring, first dropping it with the box on the floor. The pair of them were exhausted, adrenaline-filled heaps barely standing. It was a miracle Rose got it on his finger before he yanked her into his arms to hug the breath out of her. He became dizzy, and was certain there were a barrage of kisses thrown in between gulps of breaths and the sweet release of nervous laughter.

“Was it the song?” he teased in the midst of a kiss pressed to her forehead.

Rose buried her face in his neck, sending shivers racing down his spine as she spoke. “You’re horrible.”

“It’ll be a really late breakfast.”

“I don’t care about breakfast. I just want a bed. And you in it.”

“I quite like the sound of that! Home it is then? I can’t give you your gift here. Might get arrested.”

Her face was priceless. _She_ was priceless. “Oh god Doctor what did you do?”

“Well…”

That and a little bounce of the brow was all she’d get until they got home. All of their teasing in the car, gentle caresses, and promises of a big feast were lost once they stepped in the front door. The shower and change into jim jams was a blur, nearly forgotten when they caught sight of _their_ bed. They collapsed on it in a fantastic mess of Doctor and Rose. But Rose didn’t for one moment forget about her gift. She woke him up with kisses several hours later whispering in his ear that she’d earned it.

“It’s silly really. I’ll go out tomorrow and get you a proper gift. This one’s not. I mean, well. I think you’ll like it. But it’s hardly - ”

She kissed him quiet and laughed. “You gonna give it to me or not, Doctor?”

“Might as well. I’ve got it right here.” He sat up and slid off the bed. “But no laughing, you. This is serious.”

Rose zipped her fingers across her lips and sat up, eyes trained on him as he wriggled out of his jumper. He paused when she made a comment about liking this gift already. He peeled off his vest and undid his belt. Her gasp told him she was onto him. She brought her hands to her face in anticipation. He warned her again about not laughing, and kicked his way out of his trousers. For once he didn’t trip onto the bed.

“You said something small this year, so I took you seriously, you minx,” the Doctor defended when Rose remained frozen in a stare.

“I did say small. And I meant it didn’t I?” Her smile turned wicked. “But that’s nothing small, just so you know. I can’t even read what it says!”

He croaked. “Well you were, and I just woke up, and…”

Rose crawled across their bed and pressed her hand to his crotch. The Doctor hissed.

“Well that’s true, isn’t it?” she teased after looking up from his waist. “Though I think I established this with this little number, don’t you think?” She found his hand and threaded her fingers with his, squeezing his ring.

“Well, Miss Tyler, if you’re ungrateful I can just take this gift elsewhere.”

He made to turn around, but Rose pulled him back until he fell on the bed next to her. “Mm mm. I don’t think so.” She curled up next to him and traced her finger along his abdomen, grinning when he planked beneath her touch. “Says right here you’re mine. I don’t think I can let you go anywhere.”

He helped her out of her jim jams and dragged her beneath the covers with him. The last piece of clothing to hit the floor was a pair of boxer briefs, navy blue, with white lettering across the front saying, “Property of Rose Tyler.” If she thought it was as tacky as his holiday jumpers she never said. Instead, she proved its point, and that she’d missed him. They spent a good portion of their belated first Christmas in bed, interrupted only by that breakfast the Doctor promised Rose. He wished the hours in the airport could’ve flown by as quickly as those precious hours in between lovemaking. She’d go away on Torchwood business again. But it would only ever be hours from then on, as opposed to the years they’d spent apart. When he first landed here with her this Earth felt a lot bigger than the one she’d met him on. With a little ring and a promise Rose Tyler made it much smaller.

The next day the Doctor flew into the nearest jewelry store and brought home a ring for Rose, against her wishes. She squealed with glee all the same when he showed it to her. She deserved more than just a little gift. Even a ring didn’t seem enough until he saw the two side by side. It wasn’t much different from the one she’d given him, white gold and sapphire. Though they were wildly different people, the promise they made to one another was finally the same.

 

 


End file.
